Search Climate Insights Directory

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) calls for the 2023/2024 Budget to abandon regressive macroeconomic policies and prioritize public investment in infrastructure, the green economy, and social services. The statement emphasizes the need for the state to absorb Eskom's debt, renegotiate power purchase agreements, and increase the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant to the Food Poverty Line to combat extreme poverty and energy instability.

The Local Government: Municipal Systems Act 32 of 2000 is a South African legislative framework designed to enable municipalities to achieve social and economic upliftment for local communities. It establishes the legal nature of municipalities, defines the rights and duties of councils and community members, and mandates the creation of Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) and performance management systems. The Act also regulates municipal services, the establishment of municipal entities, and the conduct of councillors and staff through formal Codes of Conduct.

The EU CRMA and UK CMS aim to reduce dependence on China and secure supplies for the green transition, but their domestic focus may hinder African industrialization. While the EU targets 10% domestic mining and 40% processing by 2030, its international partnerships are criticized as extractivist. The brief highlights a misalignment in 'criticality' definitions, where African states prioritize regional industrialization and specific minerals like gold or coal, which may conflict with Western climate goals or sanctions. It concludes that without a shift toward supporting in-country processing and reducing certification costs for local firms, these strategies will fail to create mutually beneficial partnerships.

The report highlights solar power as the primary engine of the global energy transition, noting it surpassed 2,000 TWh of generation in 2024 and doubles every three years. While emerging drivers such as data centres, EVs, and heat pumps have structurally increased electricity demand, clean generation is projected to grow fast enough to meet this demand and drive a structural decline in fossil fuels by 2030. Central to this shift is the progress in China and India, where clean power deployment is breaking the historical link between economic growth and fossil fuel expansion, potentially tipping the global balance toward a decline in fossil generation.

The toolkit critiques the draft IRP 2023, arguing that it deviates from 'least cost' energy pathways by favoring fossil fuels over renewables and failing to adequately address air quality, health impacts, and climate commitments. It provides a framework for the public to challenge the DMRE's modelling assumptions, the premature timing of the plan relative to the Integrated Energy Plan and Sectoral Emission Targets, and the lack of transparency in public participation.

The report examines the financial and operational crisis facing South African municipal electricity distribution, characterized by rising bulk costs from Eskom and a massive infrastructure maintenance backlog. It proposes that municipalities leverage the growing amount of behind-the-meter rooftop solar PV—estimated at 3,495 MWp as of December 2024—to reduce reliance on expensive bulk purchases. By purchasing curtailed excess power and deploying leased BESS for peak demand arbitrage, municipalities could significantly increase operating surpluses to fund infrastructure renewal. The report specifically analyzes the City of Johannesburg, arguing that rooftop solar is not the primary cause of its revenue decline—which is instead driven by high technical and non-technical losses—and warns that punitive policies toward solar owners may accelerate grid defection.

The BRICS bloc is reaching a milestone where non-fossil power capacity is set to exceed fossil-fueled capacity for the first time in 2024. While the group hosts a significant portion of the world's coal fleet and continues to develop new fossil plants, there is a massive pipeline of wind and solar projects. The report finds that the BRICS countries have enough renewables in development to nearly triple their capacity by 2030, though the actual construction rate varies significantly by member, with China leading the transition.

The document examines Nigeria's potential to leverage transition minerals—such as lithium, nickel, and cobalt—to drive industrialization and fund climate action. It contrasts the current 'extract-and-export' model, which has left the mining sector contributing only about 0.3% to GDP, with a beneficiation strategy that could significantly increase revenue and create high-skilled jobs. The author highlights the global demand surge for these minerals and the geopolitical opportunity created by the concentration of processing in China. While the Nigerian government has introduced policies to mandate local processing and revoke dormant licenses, the paper notes that a lack of infrastructure and persistent governance deficits, including illegal mining and revenue leakages, remain primary obstacles.

The report critiques neoliberalism for causing environmental destruction and inequality, advocating for a transition to a sustainable economy. It proposes five key pillars: expanding public services through tax justice, scaling up cooperatives and solidarity economies, supporting local markets and fair trade, adopting wellbeing-based economic indicators instead of GDP, and establishing binding international regulations to curb the power of transnational corporations.

The document evaluates the first decade of the Paris Agreement, arguing that climate finance delivery has been characterized by "incremental promises, contentious negotiations, evolving priorities and an erosion of trust amongst Parties." It highlights a significant investment deficit in Africa, where the region receives only 3% of global climate finance flows despite its high vulnerability. The brief critiques the delayed and contested achievement of the US$100 billion annual goal, the underfunding of adaptation and loss and damage, and the over-reliance on debt-creating loans over grants. It calls for a shift toward public-led, concessional finance and systemic reforms to the global financial architecture to ensure equity and transparency ahead of COP30.

The GEC Strategy 2014-2017 focuses on shifting the narrative of the green economy transition from technical language to a compelling story centered on equity and environmental limits. The coalition aims to establish global dialogue hubs, develop an ethical framework for natural capital valuation, and influence financial system reform. Key priorities include strengthening the role of SMEs, improving economic measurement to include planetary boundaries, and increasing the network's presence and representation in developing countries and the BRICS nations.

The African Union's admission as a permanent member of the G20 in September 2023 represents a shift in global economic governance, increasing the G20's global population representation from 65% to 80%. Historically, the G20 has been viewed as favoring advanced economies, with initiatives like the 2017 Compact with Africa (CWA) and the 2021 debt service suspension initiative (DSSI) criticized for serving the interests of wealthier nations or creditors. The AU's debut at the November 2024 Rio de Janeiro summit focused on priorities including financial system reform, food security, and climate resilience. However, the document warns that rising nationalism, specifically the 'America First' agenda of the Trump administration, poses a threat to the multilateralism necessary for the AU's effectiveness. To move beyond symbolism, the paper argues the AU must leverage the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to increase aggregate purchasing power—projected to reach USD 1.8 trillion by 2035—and emulate the European Union's model of policy harmonization to attract global investment.

The report finds that while global coal power is generally declining and many existing plants have set retirement dates, China is experiencing a surge in new coal capacity. In 2022, China's new coal construction capacity grew by 38%, accounting for 68% of global construction. Despite this, the report suggests a coal-free future is possible if countries transition from broad commitments to specific plant retirement plans and close financial channels for coal.

The document examines the environmental and human rights impacts of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, highlighting their contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss. It details the structural links between the fossil fuel and agrochemical industries, specifically the promotion of 'blue' ammonia and hydrogen using CCS as a means to secure long-term demand for natural gas. The text warns that this industrial model undermines food sovereignty and planetary boundaries, advocating for a transition to regenerative agricultural models.

The report argues that current NDCs and financial frameworks are insufficient to reach net-zero emissions, particularly in developing and emerging economies facing high debt. It proposes nine principles for international climate finance, emphasizing that developed countries must scale up support based on common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR). Key recommendations include adopting bottom-up, sector-specific finance needs, utilizing innovative mechanisms like debt-for-climate swaps, and aligning finance with national policy processes to avoid carbon lock-ins. The report highlights the importance of 'just transitions' and the synergy between mitigation, adaptation, and loss and damage funding.

The Western Cape has a potential wheeling market of up to 1,600 MW of new renewable energy, representing an investment opportunity of up to R25.6bn. While wheeling allows customers to purchase power from independent power producers (IPPs) via existing grids, its uptake is hindered by limited municipal capacity and the requirement that municipalities be in good financial standing with Eskom. To address these barriers, Eskom is piloting 'virtual wheeling', expected to launch in early 2025, which allows municipal customers to access energy from Eskom-connected IPPs without waiting for municipal readiness. Current wheeling in the province is limited to a few local municipalities, including the City of Cape Town, George, and Swartland. The document highlights that wheeling can provide significant cost savings and price stability for businesses through bilateral power purchase agreements (PPAs), though long-term financial models should account for potential future decreases in daytime energy tariffs.

The report argues that preventing dangerous climate change requires the active participation of major developing economies (MDEs), as developed countries' actions alone are insufficient. It analyzes the current GHG emission trends in MDEs, the impact of the 2008 global economic crisis on climate finance, and the positions of key actors like the U.S., EU, and China. The authors propose a 'Phased Approach to a Safe Climate' that differentiates countries into Developed, Advanced Developing, and Other Developing categories, transitioning MDEs from voluntary nationally appropriate mitigation actions (NAMAs) to binding targets by 2020, provided developed countries demonstrate leadership and provide adequate financing and technology transfer.

The author critiques the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for focusing on income poverty and development aid rather than structural inequality and the link between social and environmental dimensions. While noting progress in poverty reduction and water access, the text highlights that global inequality is rising and environmental degradation is accelerating due to the consumption patterns of an expanding global middle class. The author asserts that industrialised countries, particularly the European Union, must assume global responsibility by meeting the 0.7% GNI official development assistance target and drastically reducing their per capita CO2 emissions to allow the Global South scope for sustainable development.

The report identifies a significant global gap in healthcare electrification, with an estimated 1 billion people lacking reliable power at local facilities and a total investment need of USD 4.9 billion. While solar PV systems dominate current initiatives, the report argues for a shift from short-term procurement models (EPC) to long-term service-based models (ESCO) to ensure sustainable operation and maintenance (O&M). Key recommendations include developing country-specific taxonomies, enhancing inter-sectoral coordination between health and energy ministries, and leveraging climate finance and decentralized renewable energy certificates (D-RECs) to bridge the funding gap.

The report examines the synergy between decentralised renewable energy (DRE) and electric mobility (e-mobility) in rural and peri-urban areas of emerging economies. It argues that DRE systems, such as solar mini-grids, can overcome electricity access barriers and provide a sustainable power source for electric vehicles (EVs), which in turn can act as mobile batteries to balance DRE systems. Through 13 case studies and an expert interview, the document highlights the socio-economic benefits of this transition—including reduced operational costs for transport operators, job creation, and improved access to healthcare—while identifying critical barriers such as high capital expenditure (CAPEX), lack of supportive regulatory frameworks, and supply chain disruptions. The report provides specific recommendations for project developers, policymakers, and investors to scale these solutions through local R&D, blended finance, and gender-lens investment.